Wooooo! Hoooooooo!

(03-05-2013 11:04 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Really, how so. Because we averaged less than the FBS requirement. Us and quite a few other schools, who have yet to be reprimanded. I highly doubt the NCAA would regulate us to FBS. We made the damn Orange Bowl, that would be idiotic. Do you have any other proof we were going to FCS. I don't see too many 11-3, 11-3, and 12-2 teams over three years getting a demotion, we do make some cash for the NCAA and that's what they care about. Prove me wrong.

NIU missed a chance , a golden chance that is only going to come around once in a lifetime. You had a window here to get the biggest fan base we have ever had, now with the scheduling the way it has unfolded assures that wont happen. Maybe he was preoccupied with looking at his next job instead of scheduling, but I dont think thats the case. It has never been a priority and our season ticket base has erorded to pre-2003 numbers. You try and tell me its good leadership when your fan support is at a 10 year low coming off an Orange Bowl, its a disgrace.

(03-05-2013 11:16 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-05-2013 11:04 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Really, how so. Because we averaged less than the FBS requirement. Us and quite a few other schools, who have yet to be reprimanded. I highly doubt the NCAA would regulate us to FBS. We made the damn Orange Bowl, that would be idiotic. Do you have any other proof we were going to FCS. I don't see too many 11-3, 11-3, and 12-2 teams over three years getting a demotion, we do make some cash for the NCAA and that's what they care about. Prove me wrong.

NIU missed a chance , a golden chance that is only going to come around once in a lifetime. You had a window here to get the biggest fan base we have ever had, now with the scheduling the way it has unfolded assures that wont happen. Maybe he was preoccupied with looking at his next job instead of scheduling, but I dont think thats the case. It has never been a priority and our season ticket base has erorded to pre-2003 numbers. You try and tell me its good leadership when your fan support is at a 10 year low coming off an Orange Bowl, its a disgrace.

I'm not arguing that. I already said I'm not a huge Compher fan. You said we were going to the FCS and that I couldn't refute it. So I did just that and now you're changing the topic.

Maddawgz, how many of these meetings were you in on where plenty of AQ schools were lining up to play NIU? I'm not discounting the fact that there could have been missed opportunities but the fact is that neither of us know. So for you to blindly say they single handedly caused the schedule to be as it is or for me to completely say they are clear of any wrong doing would be wrong. The things that we know are that in the time that Compher and Phillips were at NIU there was a lot of winning and 2 MAJOR buildings were/are being built that are going to help with recruiting. I want to know what you wanted Compher and the marketing department to do differently to keep people coming to games. I really think it has more to do with the fans than the lack of trying from the athletic department.

All I ask is for objectivity in the evaluation and I know that's hard for all of us to do a lot of the time when talking about a program that we all care so much about

Hey Huskies. First of all congrats on making it to the Orange Bowl (way late I know). That was one of the bowls I was most looking forward to and really wanted to see you guys beat FSU.

I have been impressed with NIU's football program for the last several years. Admittedly I don't know much about the rest of your athletics programs or your financial circumstances but honestly I was a little surprised to see we were hiring NIU's AD. I am proud of my university and the athletic department but in the most important sport, football, we haven't sniffed the success you had last year in over two decades. I gather from reading this thread that we might have a little more money and maybe have put more into our facilities thus far, but I still think NIU would be a great place for an AD to be. Plus with all the realignment mess over here I'm not sure I would want to be an AD here right now.

In any event, as a fan of a "have not" in college athletics I always root for all the have not's and hope that you make a hire at the AD position that betters your program. Just wanted to ask who you are losing and who you have coming back on the football team and what the general expectations are for next year. I will be keeping an eye on the Huskies and hope you have another successful season.

Someone fill me in on why the move to ECU makes sense? Is really a matter of money? Or does this coffee fund scandal shake too much up here and everyone is getting out?

As East is Purple pointed out, there isn't a lick of sense in this move, in the long term its lateral at best, unless the money is there.

I know MaddDawgz didn't like Phillips, but now that I really start to look at Compher, Phillips and Groth, I'd have to say that Compher may be at the bottom of that list from a "sports as a business" perspective.

He had some key hires and delivered some much needed conference championships, I will credit him with this, but the attendance and marketing never materialized. Hopefully the next AD can deliver on the attendance and continue the winning.

Looks like ECU's AD was making around $350k. Compher was making around 250k.

(03-06-2013 03:56 AM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  Hey Huskies. First of all congrats on making it to the Orange Bowl (way late I know). That was one of the bowls I was most looking forward to and really wanted to see you guys beat FSU.

I have been impressed with NIU's football program for the last several years. Admittedly I don't know much about the rest of your athletics programs or your financial circumstances but honestly I was a little surprised to see we were hiring NIU's AD. I am proud of my university and the athletic department but in the most important sport, football, we haven't sniffed the success you had last year in over two decades. I gather from reading this thread that we might have a little more money and maybe have put more into our facilities thus far, but I still think NIU would be a great place for an AD to be. Plus with all the realignment mess over here I'm not sure I would want to be an AD here right now.

In any event, as a fan of a "have not" in college athletics I always root for all the have not's and hope that you make a hire at the AD position that betters your program. Just wanted to ask who you are losing and who you have coming back on the football team and what the general expectations are for next year. I will be keeping an eye on the Huskies and hope you have another successful season.

Thank you for a classy post. Good luck to the Pirates!

(03-06-2013 03:56 AM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  Hey Huskies. First of all congrats on making it to the Orange Bowl (way late I know). That was one of the bowls I was most looking forward to and really wanted to see you guys beat FSU.

I have been impressed with NIU's football program for the last several years. Admittedly I don't know much about the rest of your athletics programs or your financial circumstances but honestly I was a little surprised to see we were hiring NIU's AD. I am proud of my university and the athletic department but in the most important sport, football, we haven't sniffed the success you had last year in over two decades. I gather from reading this thread that we might have a little more money and maybe have put more into our facilities thus far, but I still think NIU would be a great place for an AD to be. Plus with all the realignment mess over here I'm not sure I would want to be an AD here right now.

In any event, as a fan of a "have not" in college athletics I always root for all the have not's and hope that you make a hire at the AD position that betters your program. Just wanted to ask who you are losing and who you have coming back on the football team and what the general expectations are for next year. I will be keeping an eye on the Huskies and hope you have another successful season.

Besides football, NIU has been very successful in men's soccer fighting Akron tooth and nail for conference titles (Akron won the Men's national championship in 10). Quite successful in wrestling as well, men's and women's hoops have been a nightmare which is a shame since NIU spent $35M on a new Convocation Center in 2002 for hoops, wrestling, concerts and ceremonies. It has yet to pay off for hoops.

(03-05-2013 11:16 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-05-2013 11:04 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Really, how so. Because we averaged less than the FBS requirement. Us and quite a few other schools, who have yet to be reprimanded. I highly doubt the NCAA would regulate us to FBS. We made the damn Orange Bowl, that would be idiotic. Do you have any other proof we were going to FCS. I don't see too many 11-3, 11-3, and 12-2 teams over three years getting a demotion, we do make some cash for the NCAA and that's what they care about. Prove me wrong.

NIU missed a chance , a golden chance that is only going to come around once in a lifetime. You had a window here to get the biggest fan base we have ever had, now with the scheduling the way it has unfolded assures that wont happen. Maybe he was preoccupied with looking at his next job instead of scheduling, but I dont think thats the case. It has never been a priority and our season ticket base has erorded to pre-2003 numbers. You try and tell me its good leadership when your fan support is at a 10 year low coming off an Orange Bowl, its a disgrace.

But, what's even worse is that only 3,266 OB tickets were purchased through NIU. How could JC allow that?

(03-05-2013 09:34 PM)golf4501 Wrote:  

(03-05-2013 09:06 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  NIU scheduling is simple. We are saving/sacking in the $ and sacking up the wins in the process playing weaker teams. No, it's not exciting but it's got us on the map.

NIU did have OK State back in 96...biggest home get to date imo.

OK State was no where close to where they are now in 1996, so not a big get. We also had Louisville, Vanderbilt and Cincy in the 90's. The biggest get was probably Maryland and Iowa State both in 2003.

OSU was on probation in 96.

(03-06-2013 08:37 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(03-05-2013 11:16 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-05-2013 11:04 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Really, how so. Because we averaged less than the FBS requirement. Us and quite a few other schools, who have yet to be reprimanded. I highly doubt the NCAA would regulate us to FBS. We made the damn Orange Bowl, that would be idiotic. Do you have any other proof we were going to FCS. I don't see too many 11-3, 11-3, and 12-2 teams over three years getting a demotion, we do make some cash for the NCAA and that's what they care about. Prove me wrong.

NIU missed a chance , a golden chance that is only going to come around once in a lifetime. You had a window here to get the biggest fan base we have ever had, now with the scheduling the way it has unfolded assures that wont happen. Maybe he was preoccupied with looking at his next job instead of scheduling, but I dont think thats the case. It has never been a priority and our season ticket base has erorded to pre-2003 numbers. You try and tell me its good leadership when your fan support is at a 10 year low coming off an Orange Bowl, its a disgrace.

But, what's even worse is that only 3,266 OB tickets were purchased through NIU. How could JC allow that?

That happened because everyone was able to find the tickets cheaper on sites like Ebay, Stubhub, etc. Teams that participate in a bowl game are required to buy tickets at the marked up price the bowl wants. So NIU has to try to re-coop as much of that money as possible by charging the same price. Give NIU credit for biting the bullet and taking a big loss on the tickets, realizing that having a good showing of fans at the game was more important and eventually giving the great deals that we saw to students and others. That's why the bowl system sucks; the bowl committees hold the schools by the....throats, yeah, let's go with throats

(03-06-2013 03:56 AM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  Hey Huskies. First of all congrats on making it to the Orange Bowl (way late I know). That was one of the bowls I was most looking forward to and really wanted to see you guys beat FSU.

I have been impressed with NIU's football program for the last several years. Admittedly I don't know much about the rest of your athletics programs or your financial circumstances but honestly I was a little surprised to see we were hiring NIU's AD. I am proud of my university and the athletic department but in the most important sport, football, we haven't sniffed the success you had last year in over two decades. I gather from reading this thread that we might have a little more money and maybe have put more into our facilities thus far, but I still think NIU would be a great place for an AD to be. Plus with all the realignment mess over here I'm not sure I would want to be an AD here right now.

In any event, as a fan of a "have not" in college athletics I always root for all the have not's and hope that you make a hire at the AD position that betters your program. Just wanted to ask who you are losing and who you have coming back on the football team and what the general expectations are for next year. I will be keeping an eye on the Huskies and hope you have another successful season.

Most of our O comes back. We lost about half of the D but we rotated so they should be good but not expecting it to be as good as last year.

There is not single a game that we cant win but we also could lose 4. 9-3 is where my pessimistic bar is set. Though last year I was thinking 8-4

(03-06-2013 03:56 AM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  Hey Huskies. First of all congrats on making it to the Orange Bowl (way late I know). That was one of the bowls I was most looking forward to and really wanted to see you guys beat FSU.

I have been impressed with NIU's football program for the last several years. Admittedly I don't know much about the rest of your athletics programs or your financial circumstances but honestly I was a little surprised to see we were hiring NIU's AD. I am proud of my university and the athletic department but in the most important sport, football, we haven't sniffed the success you had last year in over two decades. I gather from reading this thread that we might have a little more money and maybe have put more into our facilities thus far, but I still think NIU would be a great place for an AD to be. Plus with all the realignment mess over here I'm not sure I would want to be an AD here right now.

In any event, as a fan of a "have not" in college athletics I always root for all the have not's and hope that you make a hire at the AD position that betters your program. Just wanted to ask who you are losing and who you have coming back on the football team and what the general expectations are for next year. I will be keeping an eye on the Huskies and hope you have another successful season.

My major complaint with our AD has been the scheduling, but I don't know if that would be as much of an issue at ECU. Certainly if you're getting 40K+ people at games you could afford to pay more to bring good schools in. Unless he really does push for wins, and the money wasn't the issue. I'm sure he's getting paid more at ECU and the position would have a little more credibility with a great fanbase there.

We have high expectations for the football team, and we'll find out early how good they are in road games against Iowa and Purdue. The offense should be good still, the defense will have to replace a number of people.

(03-06-2013 06:23 AM)thehappyhuskie Wrote:  Someone fill me in on why the move to ECU makes sense? Is really a matter of money? Or does this coffee fund scandal shake too much up here and everyone is getting out? ... this move ... lateral at best.
... look at Compher, Phillips and Groth, I'd have to say that Compher may be at the bottom of that list from a "sports as a business" perspective. ... some key hires ... but attendance and marketing never materialized. Hopefully the next AD can deliver on the attendance and continue the winning.

To: thehappyhuskie
Most people (especially those outside of DogPounders) would not view this as a lateral move. First and foremost, the money is reportedly about $100,000 greater for salary. Second, the Big East (even not knowing what it's finally going to look like) is considered above the MAC as an all-sports league.
Last but not least is personal considerations: Compher not only has roots in North Carolina but it's no secret his wife has been unhappy with DeKalb/Sycamore and now that his youngest son is finishing his senior year in high school, making the wife happier is a priority.
Personally, I don't think he had anything to do with the coffee fund stuff or will be connected to it, however, it could be argued that there's not much more he would have accomplished at NIU than could enhance his resume.
As many on this board are now questioning, why was the marketing so mediocre under him? He and many of the staff he hired are not regarded as being too personable -- a real contradiction to the ECU release that said "Another priority he discussed is engagemnt of the community."
Many on this board along with several alums and community members are wondering if Montgomery is capable of turning hoops around; and the jury hasn't even been selected to see if Carey will succeed. Trust me on this one, if things turn south this year for football, you'll see plenty on here second-guessing that choice.
Within the athletic administrative circles, most looked on his coming to NIU simply as a stepping stone move, and he's been known to be a frequent applicant for other jobs for the last two years.